Swimming pool cleaning device



March 12, 1963 L. M. MULLINIX ETAL 3,080,590

SWIMMING POOL CLEANING DEVICE Filed Jan. 22, 1960 I I 5 I FIG. 2

INVENTORS LLOYD M. MULLINIX BY ROBERT L. GRAHAM TWWIW ATTORNEYS to the plumbing fixtures of the pool itself.

tates 3,688,599 SWIMMHN G PGUL CLEANING DEVICE Lloyd M. Mnllinix, Richmond, and Robert L. Graham,

El Sobrante, Califi, assignors to Muliigram, Inc, Richmond, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Jan. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 4,020 6 Qlaims. (Cl. 151.7)

adjacent the pool wall areas.

The conventional type swimming pool is constructed with concrete, plaster or tile surfaces which from time to time become stained either by natural action or alkali stains generally resulting from the curing of concrete or by the inter-action of foreign materials against the side walls or bottom of the pool. Such stains can usually be removed by placing -a bath of strong acid such as hydrochloric or muria-tic acid generally adjacent the stain. The basic problem with such treatment is that even relatively small quantities of such an acid tends to contaminate the water and many times will cause damage Therefore any device that is used to spot clean such stains is required to employ a relatively small quantity of acid and main tain the body of acid in relatively concentrated form against the area to be cleaned.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple device which may be placed against the side or bottom walls of a pool for holding a captive body of acid immediately against the area to be spot cleaned.

The apparatus of this invention includes a work head having a resilient diaphragm which is designed to engage the Wall of the pool and which forms a relatively sealed pocket against the walls of the pool which contains a small body of acid. The entire device is mounted on a sufiiciently long handle to allow the device to be moved to various locations within the pool from a position external of the pool itself.

The device also incorporates means for metering controlled quantities of acid to the captive acid area so that small concentrate solutions of acid may be applied directly to a spot are-a to get the full benefit of the acid strength while using only relatively small quantities of acid solution.

Another object of this invention is to provide a spotting head of the type described which has a resilient cup shaped diaphragm which is adapted to engage the pool walls and in which a resilient biasing member is placed l between the diaphragm and the body of the cleaning device biased under spring tension so that the diaphragm is always exerting a minimum pressure against the resilient member. By this means the diaphragm is kept in substantially rigid relationship to the device and forms an acid receiving pocket.

.A further object of this invention is to provide in such a device working components which are easily replaceable so that the diaphragm and the resilient member in back of the diaphragm may be readily replaced.

This constitutes an important feature and advantage of the device in that the acid normally has a tendency to deteriorate most resilient materials that could be used for this purpose.

A still further object of this invention is to provide in a pool spot removing device a novel compact spotting 3,680,599 Patented Mar. 12, 1963 ice head which will allow the diaphragm to be held under biasing pressure against a resilient body and will also allow the metering of acid through the manipulating handle into the center of the captive acid pocket formed by the diaphragm.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent cor-responding parts in each of the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing the pool cleaning device of this invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cleaning head.

In the principal embodiment of this invention there is provided a cleaning head A which is pivotally mounted to an actuating handle B.

Handle B is formed of sufiicient length to allow head A toengage the various bottom and side wall sections of a swimming pool from a point outside the pool.

Head A generally comprises a circular top plate 15 having a depending rim 16. A resilient buffer member 17 is mounted directly under top plate 15 to form a resilient cushion for a circular diaphragm 20.

The diaphragm is mounted on a piston 21 which is reciprocally mounted within a piston mounting cylinder 22 formed in the center of top plate 15. The diaphragm is removably fitted onto piston 21 by the provision of an annular groove 24 mounted around the lower end of the piston and into which the annular wall 25 forming an aperture in the center of the diaphragm is arranged to tightly nest.

Cylinder 22 is provided with a lower guide 28 which is formed of substantially the same diameter as piston 21 to guide the piston for guided reciprocal movement of the piston within the cylinder.

An enlarged diameter spring carrying. area 29 is provided above guide 28 into which is fitted a spring 30.

A spring retaining Washer 33 is mounted on the top of piston 21 in order to restrain spring 39 within spring carrying area 29. The spring is under tension against a shelf 35 formed by the top wall of cylinder 22 and spring retaining washer 33.

Spring retaining Washer 33 is generally L-sh'aped in cross-section having a lower inwardly depending annular flange 36 which engages an annular groove 38 formed within the upper portion of the piston.

Spring retaining washer 33 is formed of a semi-resilient material so that the washer may be deformed to fit around the top of the piston so that annular flange 36 can engage groo e 3%. By this means spring 30. is arranged to force piston 21 to move toward plate 15 thus causing diaphragm 20 to be slightly compressed against resilient buffer member 17 at the centermost portion of the device. This action causes a pocket generally indicated at C to be formed in the center portion of the diaphragm due to the fact that the spring tensioning is exerted at the 'center thus allowing outer resilient member 17 to maintain the peripheral area of the diaphragm at a substantially lower position than the central area. The central portion of piston 21 is provided with a hollow bore 39 into which a check valve 4t? is fitted. The upper end of check valve 46 is provided with a fitting 41 which is connected to a hose d3.

An acid bottle 4-5 mounted at a fixed position at the outside of the pool is in fluid communication with hose 43. The circuit for the fluid flow is through the center of handle B and through a hose 48 forming fluid communication between the acid bottle and the bore of the handle.

" POOl'Whll to forma substantially fluid tight seal. thismeans the wallet the pool is allowed to be engaged K by a substantially concentrated solution of acid. The

1 the pool wall to other positions The upper portion of the handle is provided within the fluid communication path of hose 43 with a pump comprising a flexible bulb 5i having check valves 51 and 52;.on oppositesides of the bulb. By this device when bulb 50 is compressed any fluid within the bulb is forced from the bulb out through check valve 52.

into hose 43. All the check valves 51, 52 and 40 are arrangedto allow fluid flow from the bottle 45 out through aperture 38 but not in reverse direction.

-' I A control valve 55 is provided on the handle upstream from check valve 51 to regulate the opening for acid flow from bottle 45 into the system. The end of handle B is provided with a conventional hand grasp 60 to allow the device to be easily manipulated.

- Handle B is pivotally mounted as at 61 on head A substantially at center. 7 1

To operate the device bottle 45 is filled with the appropriate acid for cleaning the particular spots to be rethrough check valve 40 and out aperture 58.

The action of spring 3t) forces the inner portion of diaphragm 20 inwardly toward plate to form a small .POcket for receiving the captive body of acid. The outer or peripheral edges of diaphragm thus can engage the y actual content of the captive acid bath area is sufiiciently small so that the acid used creates only a negligible contamination of the pool. The device may then be slid with diaphragm 20 being maintained in engagement with for sequential spot cleaning. 1

As the acid becomes weakened within pocket C 'bu b 50 may be again actuated to force further flow of acid into thepocket. V V

- As the device is used there maybe deterioration of the resilient buffer member 17 of diaphragm 20. The resilient diaphragm may be removed by deforming the diaphragm and removing the wall from groove 24 formed in the lower portion of the piston thereby allowing both the diaphragm and resilient buffer member 17 to be removed from the device. v V 7 7 Similarly a new diaphragm and aresilient bufler may I 'be inserted simply by deforming the diaphragm so that the walls 25 fit within groove 24.

It can readily be seen that the device is very simply operated and limits all pool contamination.

It can also be seen that the pocket is formed by the I action of spring whichforces the innermost or central portion of a diaphragm to be moved away from the pool wall while the peripheral edges of the diaphragm are in engagementwith the pool walls thus forming a substantially fluid tight sealed acid carrying pocket C for applying acid to the areas to be spotted. I I

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that cerdworkhead; a handle pivotally mounted to said workhead to position the workhead at various positions below the water level and against the walls of a swimming pool; said workhead comprising a rigid body, a resilient member mounted on the face of said rigid body, and a diaphragm mounted on the outer face of said resilient member; a piston connected to the center of said diaphragm and slidably mounted relative to said rigid body; means to bias said piston inwardly against said rigid body; and means to meter liquid through said piston to the outerface of said diaphragm. I

2. A swimming pool cleaning apparatus forming a captive pocket area against a solid pool wall comprising: a

rigid body; a diaphragm spaced from said body and. aligned therewith; piston means rigidly connected to said diaphragm and s lidably connected to said rigid body; piston moving means urging said piston to move said diaphragm toward said body; resilient means positioned between said diaphragm and said body throughout the substantial portion of the body of said diaphragm whereby the inwardly urging force of said piston moving means forms a concave deformation of said diaphragm; and meansto meter fluid into the concave deformation area of said diaphragm. i

3. A device accordingto claim 2' and in which said fluid metering means comprises a fluid. communicating tube connected to said piston; a fluid passageway within said piston and in fluid communication with said tubeand opening tothe concave area formed byysaid diaphragm; and checkvalve means within said passageway to allow fluid to pass through said passageway to the area adjacent the diaphragm but not in the reverse direction.

4. A device for forming. a captive pocket area against a solid wall comprising: a flexible diaphragm; resilient means supporting said diaphragm; spring means pulling the central portionof said diaphragm inwardly against said resilient means to form a pocket area in the central portion of said diaphragm; aperture means opening through said diaphragm into said pocket area; and means to meter fluid through said aperture means and into said pocketarea.

5. A swimming pool cleaning device comprising. a circular frame; said frame having a depending annular flange; aresilient body mounted on said frame and against said flange; a piston axially mounted on. said fraine; means to allow the slidable movement of said piston toward and away from said frame; a'circular resilient diaphragm mounted on the end of "said' piston and against the lower face of said body; spring means urged against said frame and said piston to force said piston to move the. central portion of said diaphragm inwardly toward said frame; a handle pivotally mounted onsaid frame; a fluid communicating hose mounted on said handle and communicating with said piston; and a fluid passageway formed in saidpiston in communication with said hose and opening to the opposite endof said piston.

6. A device according to claim 5 and wherein a check valve is positioned withinthe fluid passageway of said piston to allow the flow of fluid from saidvhose and'out through the opposite end of the passageway and to prevent the flow of fluid in the. opposite direction, and having pump means mounted adjacent said handle to force'fluid to pass through said hose.

References Cited inthe of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,407,030 Heine Feb. 21, 1922 2,340,115 Elliott Jan. 25, 1944 2,501,289 Orndorfi Mar. 21; 1950 2,538,542 .Tucker' Jan. 16; 1951 2 ,785,425 Lenk Mar. 19; 1957 

1. A SWIMMING POOL CLEANING APPARATUS COMPRISING: A WORKHEAD; A HANDLE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED TO SAID WORKHEAD TO POSITION THE WORKHEAD AT VARIOUS POSITIONS BELOW THE WATER LEVEL AND AGAINST THE WALLS OF A SWIMMING POOL; SAID WORKHEAD COMPRISING A RIGID BODY, A RESILIENT MEMBER MOUNTED ON THE FACE OF SAID RIGID BODY, AND A DIAPHRAGM MOUNTED ON THE OUTER FACE OF SAID RESILIENT MEMBER; A PISTON CONNECTED TO THE CENTER OF SAID DIAPHRAGM AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED RELATIVE TO SAID RIGID BODY; MEANS TO BIAS SAID PISTON INWARDLY AGAINST SAID RIGID BODY; AND MEANS TO METER LIQUID THROUGH SAID PISTON TO THE OUTER FACE OF SAID DIAPHRAGM. 